This dish might possibly contain two of my all time favorite ingredients – lemon and garlic. Throw in the extra virgin olive oil and you’ve got yourself one fine dish.

I’d be happy to have this with pasta alone, or even a risotto – the simpler the better, don’t you think?

However, I have nutrients to get and this particular dish has an array of quite lovely greens; asparagus, zucchini, green beans and peas. Was there ever such a quartet of superbly summery legumes?

This fresh, zesty, summer dish makes me wish I had an appropriate outside space in which to eat it. In the absence of such luxuries I would suggest pushing the windows in your apartment as wide as they’ll go and close your eyes whilst eating. It almost works.

Recipe by: Aine Carlin

Ingredients

1 zucchini

1/2 pack green beans

1/2 fine stem asparagus

1 cup frozen peas

3 garlic cloves

1 large lemon

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Photo: Aine Carlin

1. Prepare the vegetables - thickly slice the zucchini and cut each of the asparagus and green beans into three pieces.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o.) in a large pan, add the zucchini, season and fry for a few minutes ensuring not to let them color too much.

3. Finely chop the garlic. Zest the lemon. Add both to the pan with the zucchini along with the juice of half a lemon. Make sure the garlic doesn't brown.

4. Bring a pan of water to the boil and quickly blanch the asparagus and green beans, then immediately rinse them in cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Place the frozen peas in a bowl and cover with boiling water from a kettle. Leave to stand for a few minutes before draining.

5. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Salt generously, add the pasta and cook until al dente - err on the side of caution if using fusilli as it will lose its shape.

6. Add the remainder of the vegetables to the pan. Squeeze over the juice of the remaining half a lemon, drizzle over some e.v.o.o. and season. Drain pasta and stir through the veg. If you wish drizzle over a little more e.v.o.o. Allow the pasta to absorb some of the juices before serving. I like to grind black pepper on it before eating.